The Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) has formally released the application specification, AS-03, for MXF program delivery. The specification was developed to meet the need for the PBS network to deliver programs as files to their affiliates. Because member stations own a mix of playout server makes and models, a common denominator format simplifies their workflow and avoids the need to rewrap and transcode files.

AS-03 files contain defined sets of metadata for identification of content and for verification of content versus program traffic metadata that is delivered separately. Broadcasters can add “shims” to the specification to further constrain variability in the file format. A typical shim could define the video essence as a specific codec and the transport bit rate.

The development of AS-03 acknowledges the reality that the great flexibility enabled by the MXF standards impedes interoperability between equipment from different vendors. By defining a subset of MXF, AS-03 simplifies the issues around file interchange between different vendors’ equipment.